National Republican., 1887-02-17
THE POWER OF PRODUCTION.
SENATOR sTANFoRD's SPEECH ON THE
PRINCIPLES OF COOPERATION,
The Plan 10 be Tested in the District
of Columbia-AIding tho Natural
Right of Assooiation-Great Advan-
tages of Co Operation.

tstipg, instructive, and able address In the
Senate yesterday in support Of his bill ITO
encourage cooperation and to provide for
the formation Of associations in the District
Of Columbia for the purpose Of conducting
any lawful business and dividing the profits
among the members thereof" Following
is the full text Of the senator's remarks:
Mr.. President: The bill which have In
troduced SENATE bill No. 3022) provides for
the association and organization Of indi-
viduals with or without capital. It gives
no exclusive privileges, and is intended
only to aid the natural right OF association.
In large sense, civilization Itself rests
and advances on the great principles OF CO.
operation. The industries, the thoughts.
the great ideas which produce vast and
beneficial resulte, find their full develop
ment in association. Thus the discoveries
in art and In science are distributed or
availed Of, and they inure to the benefit Of
the whole community-often to the whole
civilized world.
SO the organization Of individuals for q
common purpose gives the strength, the
capacity, OF the ablest TO all in the associa-
tion. The weakest, and the one OF the least
capacity, is brought up in advantages to
the level Of the best. The result OF this
association is to bring the individuals OF the
united Industries. With greater intelli-
gence, and with better understanding Of
the principles of co operation, the adoption
Of them In practice will, In time, imagine,
cause most of the industries Of the country
to be carried ON by these cooperative asso-
Citations. The cooperation OF individuals
in kindred pursuits would have the effect OF
furnishing, from their variety of labor, con
tinuous employment. Thus combination
OF men could even do farming-rendering
for hire their services to the farmers
and might find that continuity Of labor SO
important to the laborer and conducive to
the maximum power Of production which
arises from constant employment.
A country's prosperity must always
mainly depend upon Its power Of produc-
tion, This is TO be brought about by the
most intelligent direction and application
OF labor. Abundant illustrations might be
given to show that the value Of the labor OF
an Individual, like the wealth Of the country,
will depend upon the power OF production.
The most notable example Of this Is to be
found in the production Of wheat In Egypt,
In India, and In America. Wheat is raised
in all these countries to compete In the
same market-England. The compensation
TO the laborer on the banks Of the Nile is a
red radish; In India, about 5 cents day.
In my own state, California, the harvester
receives So per day-forty times as much as
bis competitor receives in India. Now,
these comparatively high wages could not
be paid except upon comparatively large
production. The man In California receives
forty times as much for days labor as a
man In India; or the wages OF one man In
California equal those of forty men In
India. And yet he competes successfully
because he avails himself Of the genius OF
inventors--cuts and threshes and puts into
sack hundred pounds OF wheat for a
cent and half.
And so in every other field OF labor the
compensation will always be in proportion
to the production. The earth yields
abupdantly, through labor, to supply the
wants of mankind. Her yield Of supplies
for the necessaries, the comforts, the ele-
gancies, and the splendors of life are only
measured by the amount Of intelligent
the soil, to the working Of mines, OF quar-.
ries, and Of forests and their products, and
II there is want among the proyident and
industrious 1t must be for the lack OF the
intelligent direction and application OF la
bor. How far these wants may be sup.
piled by legislation is problem; but be-
lieye much aid may be given.
In the history OF nations want OF the
commonest necessaries has been the rule
Hitherto governments have been founded
in force, maintained in force, and the prin.
cipal thought has been to increase the force
or to so organize 1t as to preserve the gov.
eminent. Hence the large standing armies
OF Europe to-day. The theory Of our gov.
ernment Is that It was instituted for the
able rights-rights which are superior to
constitutions and laws, securing the indi
vidual In his rights OF liberty, property, and
the pursuit Of happiness, even to the ex-
tent OF commanding the support Of every
other citizen in the whole country. These
great principles, securing the freedom and
the rights OF the individual, insure TO ut
forever free government SO long as the In
telligence of the people is adequate In ap
preciating the principles upon which theii
government is founded Hence we need nc
great standing armies to overawe and men
ace the people; ana our time and thoughts
can be directed to their general develop
ment and to Improvement In their condition
1t is in the hope Of strengthening and de
tivep power of the individual without capt
tai, or with but little, that / have intro
duced this bill, believing 1t to be one great
step toward attaining the highest possibility
of abundance of the necessaries and com
forts Of life for every Industrious and provi
dent individual.
believe that cooperation will bring out
the highest capacities OF those engaged II
1t. II will impart to each individual tn
stimulus of knowing that he or she ma,
enjoy the full fruits Of his OF her skill ant
energy in their calling. In those countries
where there is the most intelligence there
the greatest use made of labor-aiding ma
chinery; and where this labor-aiding ma
chinery is used most, as In our own country
there the compensation of the laborer Is th
largest. Even in Europe those countrie
that make most use OF labor aiding ma
chinery have the best compensation fol
their labor.
Occasionally there is evidence OF appre
hension that labor aiding machinery may de
prive the laborer Of the demand for his ser.
vices; but any apprehension OF that kline
must readily disappear with the reflection
that the wants Of humanity are as bound
less as the intelligence and capacity to con
ceiye. With the ignorance Of the Digge
Indian there are few wants; no intelligence,
to conceive, and the demand for the labor
supply of others is of the most limited
kind. NThe more intelligent the people tn
greater are their wants, and with those In
creased wants the greater the demand TO
labor; and, in the universally OF labor, tn
communities to make exchange OF theil
productions.
have the hope and the faith that tn
principles OF our government, Of our grea
bill Of rights as set forth In the declaration
of Independence, will yet pervade the Who'll
civilized world; and as these ideas ar
adopted, and as they expand int,
the control Of governments, 80 will
disappear great standing armies; non
producers will be changed into frul
fully producers, adding to the com
forts and happiness OF humanity. The
the principal attention of the government
will be directed toward developing the art
of peace, and making humanity more happy
In proposing the passage Of law of thi
kind, there Is In It only an extension t
persons without capital Of the provision
that have existed heretofore In the law
provided for the association Of those wit
capital. There is no invasion OF the prime
pies of association which have, happily
done so much In the development OF th
resources Of our country and proved sue